Can-stacking device



Oct. 17, 1950 M. MOCH CAN-STACKING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1948 Fit; 2

Fin-5-1 IN V EN TOR.

M EY E R M O C H 1% 63% JTZ'OEA E'F Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'CAN-STACKING DEVICE Meyer Moch, Jamaica, N. Y. e Application June 15, 1948, Serial No. 33 ,041

containers for various foods, paints, chemicals,

etc.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide cans of conventional construction with means to enable the cans to be held releasscams. (or. zap-97) ably in stacked'relation'in axial alignment with each other, the means provided for this purpose being of simple construction and readily attachable to the cans without alteration of the conventional construction thereof and without requiring devices which project or extend beyond the side of the can.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a stack of cans which embody the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on a larger scale of two adjacent cans of the stack;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the cans;

Fig; 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the can l embodying the present invention may be of any conventional construction which customarily includes the body or side wall l2 and the lower and upper end wall members or bottom and top closures l4 and I6, respectively, which are set inwardly of the adjacent ends of the can body I2. Said end walls l4 and I6 are provided with the conventional rims l8 and 20 which are bent over the adjacent ends, respectively, of the can body l2, usually in fluid-sealing relation therewith when the cans contain liquids. In the drawings, the cans are shown empty, for simplicity of illustration, but it will be understood, of course, that the invention applies more especially to cans which have been filled with various substanceswhich are sold in cans.

The means provided in accordance with the present invention for holding the cans of the stack in axially alignedrelation, whilepermitting the ready separation of the cans byrelative longitudinal movement thereof, comprises the retaining device 22 which is preferably formed of wire of suitable gauge but which can be formed of any other suitable material. As shown in Fig. 3, member 22 is in the form of a ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced portions 24 2 I which extend transversely to the general plane of the member. Preferably the member 22 is designed to lie within the recesses at thebottom of the can and projections, of said member are dimensioned to extend outwardly beyond the adjacent end of the can for reception in the recesses at the topof the next lower can (of the same diameter) in the stack, the distance of the projection'of member 22 beyond the adjacent end of the can being such that adjacent cans of the stack are in abutting end-to-end relation, as shown in Figs. land 2. In other words projections 24 need be, and preferably are, only long enough to overlap the top rim of the adjacent lower can in the stack, and are preferably of such short depth whereby members 22 do not require any space other than that provided between the adjacent end walls of the cans themselves. Thus, it will be understood that projections 24 need not even touch the top horizontal surface of the end wall member l6 of the adjacent lower can in the stack, although such contact between projections 24 and the top of the adjacent lower can may be provided, if desired, within the scope of the present invention. It will be understood that projections 24 are disposed close to the inner surface of the rim of the Y can so that said projections lie close to the inner surface of the upper rim of the adjacent lower relative lateral movement of the adjacent cans of the stack and thus maintain the cans in vertical axialalignment. Member 22 may be secured to the companion can in any suitable way, for example by a force fit of said member in engagement with the inner surface of the bottom rim of the can or by solder applied at one or more points as indicated at 26 in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that member 22 need not be circular but can be of any other suitable shape or peripheral contour consistent with the purpose of the invention. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 4, member 22A which corresponds to member 22, is of triangular shape, and the projections 24A which correspond to the projections 24 are disposed at the apexes of the triangle so'as to engage the inner surface of the upper rim of the adjacent lower can in the stack. Similarly, it will be understood that the device, corresponding to member 22 may be of rectangular peripheral outline or of any other peripheral shape consistent with the purpose of this invention.

' Thus it is seen that cans provided with the positioning and retaining means hereinabove described are well adapted to accomplish the objects 1. A container of the type described having a l peripheral side wall and end walls positioned inwardly of the adjacent ends, respectively, of said peripheral wall providing recesses at the opposite ends, respectively, of the container, separately formed means positioned in one of said'recesses adjacent the inner peripheral wall of the recess and projecting outwardly of said recess for reception in the adjacent recess of a similar container of the same diameter in a stack whereby to prevent relative lateral movement of the adjacent containers of the stack, said separately formed means comprising a peripherall extending wire member having a plurality of integral bent portions disposed transversely of the plane of the adjacent end wall of the container.

2. Means for use in stacking cans which have a peripheral side wall and end walls positioned inwardly of the adjacent ends, respectively, of said peripheral wall providing recesses at the opposite ends, respectively, of. the container, said means being fittable into one of said recesses and having a plurality of spaced parts positioned to engage the inner peripheral wall of the adjacent recess of a similar can in a stack of such cans whereby to prevent relative lateral movement of the adjacent cans of the stack, said means comprising a pe- 4 ripherally extending wire member and said spaced parts being bent portions disposed transversely of the plane of the member.

3. A container of the type described having a peripheral side wall and end walls positioned inwardly of the adjacent ends, respectively, of said peripheral wall providing recesses at the opposite ends, respectively, of the container, means fitted into one of said recesses and confined laterally internally of the later so as not to project laterally beyond the side of the container, said means having a plurality of peripherally spaced portions positioned adjacent the inner peripheral wall of the recess and projecting outwardly of said recess for reception in the adjacent recess of a similar containerof the same diameter in a stack whereby to prevent relative lateral movement of the adjacent containers of the stack, said means comprising a peripherall extending wire member having a, plurality of integral bent portions disposed transversely of the plane of the adjacen end wall of the container.

MEYER MOCH. 1

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTs Number Name Date 7 1,595,633 ThWaits Aug. 10, 1926 1,757,192 Hothersal'l May 6, 1930 1,772,683 Piller Aug. 12, 1 930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 187,074 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1937 

